Portable sectional conveyer



Jan. 5, 1937.

M. J. ANDRADA PORTABLE SECT IONAL CONVEYER Filed Jan. 11, 1935 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 5, 1937. M. J; ANDRADA PORTABLE SECTIONAL CONVEYER Filed Jan. 11, 19:45

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a? mm A 5. a QM av QM m m Wm n r oh 1937. M. J. ANDRADA PORTABLE SECTIONAL CONVEYER Filed Jan. 11, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 5, 1937. M. J. ANDRADA 2,066,383

PORTABLE 'SECTIONAL CONVEYER Filed Jan. 11, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan.

1937. M. J. ANDRADA 2,066,383

PORTABLE SECTIONAL CONVEYER Filed- Jan. 11, 1955 e Sheets-Sheet s Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PORTABLE SECTIONAL CQNVEYER Morris J. Andrada, East Orange, N. J assignor to Robins Conveying Belt Company, Passaic, N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey Application January 11, 1935, Serial No. 1,285

Claims.

This invention relates to portable sectional conveyers, more particularly such conveyers for use in mining operations.

The principal object of my invention is to pro- 5 vide a portable sectional conveyer embodying a succession of conveyer belt supporting units of simple and efiicient construction which can be readily assembled and disassembled as the room or the runway of the mine or working conditions may require, which units as and when they are being installed readily adapt themselves to the varying grades of the floor of the room or runway.

With this and other objects in view my invenand organization which in a preferred form or forms will be hereinafter fully described, and the scope of the invention then expressed in the appended claims.

In'the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the head section of a portable sectional conveyer embodying a form of my invention for use in a room of a mine, showing a portion of the rails which conple the head section to the connecting section of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 1. d Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the connecting section and the coupling rails as continued from Fig. 1, showing a portion of the succeeding extension section.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 3. 35 Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a plurality of extension sections and the tail section, a portion of the first or left hand extension section being represented as a continuation of the portion shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan of the tail section.

Figs. '7 and 8 are transverse vertical sections through the tail section, as on the lines 'l-| and 88, respectively, of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section through the head section, as on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an extension section, and adjuncts.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal vertical section through Gil the structure shown in Fig. 10, the inclined troughing idlers ,being omitted.

- Fig. 12 is a transverse vertical section through one side of the extension section, adjacent the troughing rolls.

Fig. 13 is a detached perspective view of a.

standard and the adjacent ends of the rails at tion comprises novel features of construction one side of two adjoining extension sections, showing the coupling devices for the rails and the standard, and also a portion of the cross-bar extending from the standard.

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of an extensible or telescopic form of tail section which is used in connection with a mother conveyer in the runway of a mine, the extended side bars of the section being partly shown.

Fig. 15 illustrates the remaining portions of said side bars and their mounting on the adjacent extension section.

Fig. 16 is a plan, partially in section, of the structures shown in Figs. 14 and 15.

Fig. 1'? is a transverse vertical section through the associated bars of the two sections, as on the line l'l-l'| of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a transverse section of extension section.

Fig. 19 is a side elevation of the adjoining ends of two extension structures.

Fig. 20 is a section similar to Fig. 18 showing a modification of the belt supporting means.

The conveyer apparatus herein illustrated embodies a head section 'A; a connecting section B flexibly coupled thereto; a remote tail section C, and a series of extension sections D which are arranged end to end in succeeding order between the connecting and tail sections and which extension sections vary in number in accordance with the length or condition of the room or runway of the mine in which the apparatus is installed.

The head section A comprises a portable rectangular steel framework including parallel upper and lower side rails 20 and 2|, respectively, which are downwardly inclined from the front to the rear of the section; spaced transverse bars 22, preferably inverted T-form in ,cross section, connecting the lower rails; and longitudinal side plates 23 fastened to the adjacent upper and lower rails. These side plates depend throughout the greater part of the length of the head section and are fixed at their lower edges to longitudinally extending skids 24, preferably of angle iron, which facilitate the hauling of the section from place to place. The skids are rigidly connected in parallelism by tie bars 25.

The bars 22, and also the side plates adjacent the ends of the bars, are provided with suitablya modified disposed bearingbrackets 26 and 21, respectively, for the shafts of inclined troughingidlers 28 which are adapted to support the upper'run of provided on its forward face with bearing-braclr ets Ili for'theshaft of a horizontal idler 2l,the periphery of which idler extends slightly above the' upper edge of the bar so as to support the longitudinal middle portion of the travelingbelt' abrasive contact with the j and thus prevent its edge of the bar.

A sheet metal decking 22, which extends throughout the length of the ;frame structure and below the idlers 28, 3|, is supported'b ii the eratively connected with and driven from a suitable source of power. In the present instance the shaft 35' is equipped at its respective ends with sprocket wheels 31, either of which may be operatively connected by means of a chain 38 with a sprocket wheel 39 on the shaft 40 of a gear reducer 4| which is associated with an electric motor 42. The motor and reducer are mounted on a common bed plate 43, in order that the drive unit can be readily positioned at either side of the frame structure and operatively connected with one of the sprocketwheelsontheshaft of the head pulley 36, thus permittingeither side of the conveyer structure to be placed in close relation to a wall of the room or runway of a mine, as working space or conditions of operationmay require. A single drive or tandem drive for the conveyer belt may be employed.

The frame structure of the head section is provided adjacen he head pulley 35 with a snub pulley 44 for the conveyer belt, which latter pulley is mounted on a transverse shaft 45 having its bearings 46 on the two side plates. The structure in the form herein illustrated for use in a room of a mine-is provided withasimilarly mounted bend pulley 41 located at the rear of and below the pulley 44, and also with a take-up c pulley 48 spaced rearwardly from thelatter pulley.

leys 48 and 41, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, in order that when the pulley 48 is bodily moved toward or from the pulley 41 the tension of the belt can be regulated or the slack of the belt taken up as need may require in the operation of the apparatus. In the present instance the bearings for the shaft 49 of the take-up pulley are formed in side blocks 50 which are guided in parallel longitudinally extending rails 5| fixed to the respective side plates 23 of the head section. The guide blocks may be operated byanysuitable devices.

In the present instance these blocks are connected by cables 52 with a suitable winch 53 conveniently supported on a skeleton frame extending from the rear of the structure, which frame comprises parallel angle bars 54 affixed to the side plates and supported at their outer .ends by connecting pieces 55 fastened thereto and to the rearward ends of the adjacent skids 24.

The winch, in the form illustrated, includes a transverse shaft 58 which is journaled in bearings 51 on the frame bars 54 andcarries at its ends winding drums II for the take-up cables 52, which cablesare guided by sheaves 59 supported in suitably-disposed brackets ll 'on the side plates. 1

The shaft 56 is geared with an adjacent parallelshaftil which, is also iournaled in bear- 's,ooe,sss v ings m ee'tse frame bars :4 and is adapted to' The conveyer belt 29 is trained about the pulreceive atleitherend, as desired, an actuating crank 62. A suitably disposed back-stop or dog I 63 cop rates shaft II. a

The connecting section Bconsists of a portable steel framework including longitudinally extending skids spaced standards 66 fastened thereiioflfiiss liai-"sfirsimilar.to.,..the bars 22, connecting the opposite standards, and parallel angle rails 62 fixed to the tops of thestandards at the respective sides of the structure. These rails are slightly inclined downwardly from the forward to the rearward end of the structure.

Each of the 5 cross-bars and alsothe adjacent standards at the ends of the bar, are provided with lugs or brackets 28 and 21, respectively,

which similarly to the corresponding parts of the head section,'aiford bearings for the shafts of inclined troughing idlers 29 adapted to support the upper run of the conveyer belt. Each bar is also similarly provided on its forward face with bearing brackets 30 for the shaft of a horizontalidler 3|, which supports the middle longitudinal portion of the belt. The standards 66 are slotted at suitable intervals to provide bearings for idlers 69 for the support of the lower or return run of the conveyer belt.

The connecting section B is spaced a suitable distance rearwardly of and in alignment with the head section A and is joined thereto by means of parallel rails 580 which are flexibly coupled to the respective sections as will presently appear so as to constitute, in effect, continuations of the respective rails 20 and 64 of the two sections.

When the sections are thus assembled and coupled the idlers 23 and 2| of the associated sections are in proper relativeposition to supgpgflt and guide the upper run of the conveyer A laterally flanged sheet metal decking 1o, which extends throughout the length of the connecting structure and below the idlers thereof so asto receive spillagefrornthe belt 29, is supported by the standards 68. The space between the deckings 32 and 10 is bridged by two laterally disposed sheet metal spillage pans II which rest at their ends upon and are detachably supported by the rear and forward cross-bars 22 and 81 of the head and connecting sections, respectively.

The coupling means hereinbefore referred to for the ends of the rails 880 comprises, in the form illustrated, two depending gravity hooks 12 which are pivoted, as at II, to the vertical side members of the respective rails 690, the lower edge of each of such members being formed with a notch 14 in front of the hook. The side plates 23 of the head section A and the forwardstandards 59 of" the connecting section B are provided with projecting headed studs 15 which are positioned for entry in the respective notches 14 when the sections and the rails 68! are assembled and also to receive the lower or engaging ends. of the hooks which automatically gravitate to locking position on the studs.

The opposing endsof the respective" rails are oppositely-beveled, as at ll, to permit the relative flexureof the sections about the axes of the respective studs when together, asstated.

By the described form ofcoupling it willlbe seen that the. adioining sections can be securely coupled with ease and facility,and that the con pled sections have capacity for free vertical p17! j otal movement. at junctures, up

with a ratchet wheel 64 on the thesections are coupled, t

ting relative up and down movement of the sections to adapt them to the varying grades or irregularities of the mine floor. To uncouple the sections it is merely necessary to unlatch the hooks from the studs and disengage the notched rails from the latter.

Each of the rearward standards 66 of the connecting section B is'provided with a headed stud I adapt-ed to co-act with complementary coupling means in connection with the parallel side rails 11 of an adjoining extension section D now to be described.

The extension section comprises a pair of standards 18 generally similar in construction to the standards 66, but provided with two adjacent studs 15. The standards 18 are also connected by a similar crossebar 61 which carries the supporting idlers 28 and 3| for the upper run of the belt.

The standards 18 are spaced a suitable distance from the rear standards .66 of the connecting section, and the rails 11 are supported at their respective ends on the spaced standards, which ends arenotched, as at 14, to engage the proximate studs 15, and are provided with pivoted gravity hooks I2 positioned to engage the studs and flexibly lock the ends of the rails 11 to the respective standards. The standards 18, similarly to the standards 66, are provided with bearing slots to receive the shaft of a return idler 68.

The structural arrangement just described constitutes a self-contained cradle mounting the idlers 28, 3|, and 69 at the respective ends of the extension section and for the support of the rail members 11 which connect the cradle with the corresponding cradle of a succeeding extension section.

The rails 11 of each extension section carry an intermediate cradle mounting a set of idlers 28 and 3| only, which cradle, with its idlers can be readily inserted in or removed fromthe main cradle, as occasion may require.

The intermediate cradle comprises a transverse .L-bar 18 having at its ends flanged hangers, whereof the flanges 88 are adapted to rest upon and be supported by the respective side rails, which rails are provided with lateral lugs 8I that are welded thereto and disposed to embrace the legs 82 of the respective hangers and thereby retain the intermediate cradle in rigid position.

.Laterally disposed spillage pans 83 'rest at their I ends upon and are detachably supported by the side flanges of the respective .L-bars 61 and I8.

Any number of corresponding extension sections may be assembled and endwise coupled together at the adjoining ends of the side rails in the manner hereinbefore described, as the length of the room or runway or conditions of operation may require. 7

The rails ofthe rear or final extension section are then flexibly and detachably coupled to the rearward standards 84 of the tail section 0 bycoupling means similar to that previously described for the ends of the side rails, it being noted that the opposing pivoted ends of the rails are shaped to permit their free movement relative to each other as and for the pu p se previously mentioned.

In the present instance, the tail section C, which is a portable unitary structure, comprises spaced pairs of standards 84 each pair connected by a, transverse .I. -bar 61.. The bar and standards carry idlers 28, 3|, and 68 similarly to the bar and standards of the extension section. The standards 84 rise from longitudinally extending skids 85 and are fixedly connected at their upper ends by means of parallel side rails 86.

The rear of the tail section embodies a sheet metal housing 81 which is supported by the skids 85 and the rails 86, and which housing contains .the tail pulley 88 for the conveyer belt 28, the

shaft 88 of such pulley being mounted in bearings in the sides of the housing.

Adjacent one side of the housing is a cylindrical casing 88 which is affixed to the proximate side rail 86 and is provided with suitable sup-.

porting feet 8| adapted to rest on the mine floor.

Rotatably mounted within and concentrically of the casing at one side of the latter, is a disc 82 which carries a circular series of spaced radial vanes 83 in close proximity to the inner peripheral wall of the casing, and which disc is fast on a stud shaft 84 having its bearings in the adjacent side wall of the casing. This shaft is provided with a sprocket wheel 85 which isconnected by a chain 86 with a similar wheel 81 on anextension of the tail pulley shaft 88, whereby when the pulley is rotated by the frictional action of the traveling conveyer belt thereon during the operation of the apparatus, the desired motion is transmitted to the disc and its vanes.

These vanes in their rotation receive and carry up any dirt or other spillage that may be delivered into the bottom of the casing from the lower run of the conveyer belt, through a lower opening 88 in the inner side wall of-the casing,

as hereinafter mentioned, and then. discharge such material upon an inclined chute 88 leading through an upper opening I88 in said wall to the upper run of the conveyer. A suitably disposed stationary segmental guard wall I8l with,-

in the casing extends from the lower inlet to the upper outlet opening and in. close proximity to the path of the vanes, in order to maintain the contained material in the path of the vanes and ensure its rapid delivery thereby to the chute.

In the present instance an angularly disposed scraper I82 is arranged abovethe lower or return run of the conveyer belt 28 in advance of the tail.

pulley 88 so as to intercept the dirt or spillage on such run anddeiiect it toward and into a throat structure I83 which is secured to the wall of the casing at the mouth of the inlet opening 88 to the latter, which spillage, entering the casing through the opening, is carried up by the rotating vanes 83 and delivered thereby to the chute 88 as previously described.

The scraper is supported at one end by an an gle piece I88 secured to the adjacent standard.

88, and at the other end is secured to the throat structure. A laterally flanged sheet metal decking I85, which is arranged directly below the idlers and fastened to the standards 88, receives spillage from the upper run of the belt and also reinforces the tail structure.

The side rails 88 of thestructure support metal aprons I88 which overlie the adjacent sides and the rear portion of the upper-run of the belt so 188 to ensure-the proper loading of the belt.

It is to be noted that when the tail. section of the installation is uncoupled the belt take-up mechanism in the head section permits of the gradual advancement of the tail section in the room of the mine in order to follow the face cut as it progresses, which take-up mechanism has suflicient range of movement to enable the 'tail section to be advanced the depth of several full cuts withoutthe necessity of inserting an addi-.

tional section of belt or an extension frame sec tion in the conveyer structure.

are symmetrical and interchangeable, thus fa- It will be seen invention provides a simple and eiflcient sectional ,conveyer'structure in which corresponding extension frame sections for the belt are employed, that is to say, the structural elements'of the-- respective sections cilitating-the selection'and assembly of the parts in the mine; for example, any troughing idler I pulley assembly, including its standards, can be Placed at the rearward end of the first extension section or at either end of any of the] interven- .ing extension sections; and any side rail may be place'don' either side of any of the extension secto another.

In Figs; 14 to 17, inclusive,.ofethe drawings, I

tlons.

It will also be seen that the main cradle of each extension section is' a complete self-contained unit mounting its troughing and return idlers, and that the secondary cradle isa complete selfcontained unit mounting the intermediate trough ing idlers. Further that there are no small loose pieces, such as bolt's or pins, required for as.- sembllns the structural elements of the respective sections,- and that each individual part of the organization, except the drive, connecting and tail sections, is light enough to be handled by one man, and since those sections are mounted on skids theycan be severallyhauled about to iscilitate their movement from one room or runway have shown an alternative construction and arrangement of an extensible tail section for use in connection with a mother'! conveyer installed in the runway of a mine, which conveyer functions as an effective receiving unit for one or more room conveyers, delivering material either to cars or to a conveying system for transporting the material out of the mine.

In the construction illustrated the tail section, instead of being pivotally coupled directly to the adjacent extension section D as herelnbefore described, is provided with two forwardly extending angle bars I01 which are rigidly fixed to the side standards 84 of the tail section and are slidably sections afford bearings for transverse anti-friction rollers Iii upon which the belt is supported at spaced intervals.

The tail section just described when it is located in the dos. red rearward position within the runway, is secured to a stanchion ll! detachably supported between the floor and the roof of the mine, preferably by means of a suitable cou-' pling device, such as the threaded rods and turnbuckle shown in Fig. 14. In addition, the tail section is or may be firmly held in place by a pair of screw pressure bars or Jacks interposed between the roof of the mine and brackets fixed on the respective sides of the tail section. One of the jacks and the bracket therefor are shown at Ill and H5, respectively, (Fig. 14).

In the case of a mother conveyer,.wherein the extensible tail construction Just described is employed, the take up mechanism; on the head section is dispensed with, since as new rooms are opened up the tail section can be moved back in the runway, an extension section or sections can be inserted between the main conveyer line and the tail section, and the belt can be correspondlngly extended by the addition of a suitable length. or lengths, ofv belt material, in order to extend the conveyer the necessary distance to receive material from a new room conveyer.

The-improved conveyer constructions hereinbefore described are lowabout two and a half feet in height-which is a desideratum in underground or mine conveyerafand when such constructions are installed they readily adapt themselves to the varying grades or irregularities of the room or runway floor;

In Figs. 18 and 19 of the drawings I have shown' a modified construction wherein the side rails 11 turn up the longitudinal'edges of the conveyer belt 29, thereby imparting a trough form to the belt without the employment of troughing idlers. The adjoining ends of the side rails formed by the plates have affixed thereto downwardly extended flange pieces I I1 and l l 8 which are spaced to receive and embrace the upper end of the standard IL-thus laterally supporting the respective plates. The flanges III are provided in their lower edges with notches 14 to receive the studs It on the standard and are alsov provided with gravity hooks 12 positioned to engage the studs as in the first described construction.

In this modification the standards of each pair are connected by parallel tie-bars 610, and an elongated horizontal idler Jill is located between the bars so as tosupport the bottom of the belt. The'shaft of the idler has its bearings in the standards and the periphery of the idler Iii extends slightly above and below the tie bars. Directly under this idler is a parallel return idler 690 for the lower run of the belt, the shaft of which latter idler also has its bearings in the standards. Since the idler SID ispositioned directly above and transversely of the belt, such idler serves to prevent the .return run of the traveling belt from whipping and scraping against the opposing lower edgesof the tie bars.

In Fig. 20 I have shown another slightly modified construction wherein the pair of parallel side rails I1 are constituted by the flanged longitudinal edge portions of a single sheet metal plate which is longitudinally depressed throughout its length to provide a, unitary troughing support for the upper run of. the belt 29. In this construction the ends of'the flanged portions of adjoining plates are locked to the standards as in the other modified construction, the like parts being correspondingly standards having studs adjacent their upper ends,.

and also including side rails having adjacent their respective ends downwardly opening notches for pivotal engagement with the studs. and lock ing hooks mounted on -the rails to swing below the studs of the respective standards.

2. In a portable sectional conveyer, endless conveyer belt, a belt-suportlng structure comprising a main cradle including standards, crossbars connecting said standards in pairs, and side rails detachably supported at their ends on said standards, a supplemental cradle including a cross-bar, outwardly extending flanges on the cradle resting on the rails for suspending the cradle from the respective rails, and means for flexibly and detachably coupling the ends of the respective rails to the associated standards.

v3. In a port able sectional conveyer, an endless conveyer belt, a belt-supporting structure comprising a main cradle including standards, crossbars connecting said standards in pa-irs, and side rails detachably supported on said standards, a supplemental cradle including a cross-bar, outwardly extending flanges on the cradle resting on the rails for suspending the cradle from the respective rails, belt-supporting idlers mounted on the cross-bars of the respective cradles, and means for flexibly and detachably coupling the ends of the respective rails to the associated standards.

4. A portable conveyer comprising an endless belt conveyer, a. succession of belt-supporting structures including side rails provided adjacent their ends with downwardly opening stud receiving notches, stud-supporting members adjacent the ends of the respective rails, studs on said members arranged to be pivotally engaged by the notches of the respective rails, and locking hooks pivotally mountedon Said rails for engagement with and disengagement from the under sides of said studs, as desired.

5. A portable conveyer comprising an endless conveyer belt, succeeding belt-supporting sections including side rails provided adjacent their ends 'with downwardly opening stud-receiving notches, spaced pairs of standards, studs on said standards arranged to be pivotally engaged with the stud-receiving notches of the respective rails, and gravity actuated locking means on said rails for engagement with the under sides of said studs I for locking the rails against upward movement.

MORRIS J. ANDRADA. 

